|PIC1|Hundreds of thousands of people lost their homes when Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans last year.

FEMA itself, the agency of the United States government dedicated to swift response in the event of disasters, came under fire for its handling of the disaster. Among the criticisms was how its website handled requests for aid.

However, reports now sat that almost half of the victims of the hurricanes that struck the US last year applied for their aid online, FEMA reports that 45% of requests for relief had come via the website, up from 10% in 2004.

Though the site initially only worked with the latest version of Microsoft's browser, however, a FEMA official said the priority had been to set up the service quickly.

The figures were revealed in Las Vegas' Consumer Electronics Show in a report into the role of technology in government.

Initially only those using a Microsoft Windows PC with Internet Explorer 6 could access the agency's website.

|PIC2|This meant that people using a PC and a rival browser, an Apple Mac or Linux computer were unable to file a claim online, although they could do so by phone.

Mr West defended Fema's actions at the time, saying that the agency had tried to set up a service that could be used by "a common denominator of users and that meant Microsoft".

"The priority was to set something up quickly," he told the BBC.

He accepted that this prompted a wave of disapproval, particularly from the vocal Mac community, but added: "I had bigger fish to fry."

The service was eventually fixed and it seems to have paid off.

Some 45% of all claims for disaster relief were made online in 2005, a big jump over the 10% in 2004.


The Katrina Aid Response...

Earlier this year, the American Red Cross projected at least a US$2 billion tab to cover the response to Hurricane Katrina, and so far the organisation has raised nearly US$854 million, and already spent or committed US$700 million for Katrina relief.

|AD|“We have a long way to go in our fundraising to meet the needs of people from Katrina, let alone what we need to do for the people of Rita," Joe Becker, senior vice president of preparedness and response with the Red Cross, told reporters in Washington. "As fast as the money is coming in, we are spending it."

Samaritan's Purse donated 100 mobile homes to Shreveport, one of which will be given to Leisa Cole-Johnson, her four children and her brother as Graham presents them with the keys on Friday.

The organisation is continuing aid work with dozens of churches in the local areas to help shelter hurricane victims. It has provided more than US$30 million in aid to Katrina victims.

The Salvation Army – the second largest disaster relief organisation in North America, behind the American Red Cross has served more than 4 million meals and assisted nearly 500,000 people throughout the three states directly impacted – Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi – and neighbouring states, including Texas, Arkansas and Oklahoma.

The Army has also helped to locate 8,400 loved ones separated by Katrina through the Salvation Army team Emergency Radio Network.

Christian leaders set up the CEN - Christian Emergency Network. Evangelist Franklin Graham and Mary Marr, CEO of Christian Emergency Network (CEN), engaged in discussions to respond to the crisis, and agreed that it was critically important that Christians make a coordinated, unified and effective response with love through the unified message of prayer-care-share.

According to Marr, they both discussed that, “With the outpouring of emotion and help, it is especially critical that, at this time, Christian leaders prayerfully join in a coordinated, unified and effective response.”

In addition to all these, Geoff Tunnicliffe, leader of the World Evangelical Alliance, asked that people pray for those who seek the lord in “this time of tragedy”, and also for the National Association of Evangelicals and its affiliate members responding to the disaster.